Display devices, accessories therefor and methods

ABSTRACT

A display article comprising one of a magnetic and magnet attractive material disposed such that the material defines an area, a substrate for the material, the substrate optionally being permeable to a pushpin, the material allowing a magnet or magnet attractive material to be secured thereto, the material be integrally secured to the substrate so as to form a composite article whereby an item to be displayed can be secured to the composite article by a magnet or magnet attractive material and optionally by a pushpin. The composite article is suitable for use as a display surface, allowing securement of articles to be displayed by a magnet or optionally by pushpin. The composite article may be used as wallpaper or a wall covering, for example.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/595,122, filed Jun. 15, 2000 now abandonedentitled “DISPLAY DEVICES, ACCESSORIES THEREFORE AND METHODS”, whichapplication claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. Nos. 60/139,465 filed Jun. 16, 1999 and 60/154,030filed Sep. 16, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to display devices and in particular todisplay devices such as bulletin boards or materials which can be usedto form structural and/or ornamental display surfaces. For example, thepresent invention can be used to form walls for modular offices thatserve as display surfaces. Further, the present invention could be usedto manufacture surface materials such as wall coverings and wallpaperfor use on walls and thereby serve as a display surface.

In particular, the present invention allows objects to be displayedthereon by allowing securement of objects to be displayed either bypushpin securement or by magnetic securement. Reference is made to U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,295,342 and 5,384,999 which disclose a display device havingan apertured magnet attractive surface and a permeable material belowthe magnet attractive surface which allows objects to be secured both bypushpin and/or magnetic securement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a display device which may comprise acomposite material and accessories for use with the display deviceincluding magnets and pushpins. According to one aspect, the inventioncomprises a composite material which is embedded with iron, otherferromagnetic material, magnetic attractive material and/or magneticmaterial in order to secure articles by magnets, magnetic attractivematerial and/or material which is permeable to pins, thereby allowingdual securement by magnet, or magnet attractive material and pushpins.

According to one aspect, the magnet attractive material or magneticmaterial is adhered to the surface of a material permeable to pushpins.According to another aspect, the magnet attractive material or magneticmaterial is aligned with the surface of the material permeable topushpins. According to yet another aspect, the magnet attractivematerial or magnetic material is embedded within or beneath the materialpermeable to pushpins.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises a magnet attractivematerial or magnetic material which presents itself as a continuous ordiscontinuous layer either as strands, separate individual pieces or asa laminated, or woven layer or as a layer adhered or attached to anothermaterial to become an integral part of the structure of a non-woven orwoven sheet material in which the magnet attractive or magnetic materialis visible or nonvisible and optionally permeable to pushpins for thedisplay of objects, for example, memos, photos, notes, etc.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises an adhesive magnet.A magnet is provided with an adhesive substance on the surface of themagnet. In this way the magnet can be secured to non-magnetic objects bythe adhesive to allow the non-magnetic object to be secured to a magnetattractive surface. In particular, the adhesive magnet can be providedon a substrate or sheet of releasable backing material. A plurality ofthe magnets can be disposed on the sheet of backing material like “candybuttons’. When the user wishes to use one of the adhesive magnets, onecan be removed from the substrate, thereby exposing the adhesive on themagnet and the magnet can thereafter be adhered to a non magnetattractive object. The object can be secured to a magnet attractivesurface via the magnet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the display device of thepresent invention can be made in modular form with the individualmodular units being assemblable together into a larger display deviceeither by fastening means such as clips, screws, etc., or by fasteningmeans such as magnets and magnet attractive material.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises an integral pushpinand magnet for use with the display device of the present invention.According to another aspect the invention comprises a magnet with a pinhousing surrounding the magnet. Other push pins and magnets are alsodisclosed herein.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises a display devicemade of a composite material comprising woven or knitted fabric whichcomprises strands of fabric material interlaced with strands of aferrous material such as steel which attracts magnets.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises a method ofcovering a surface area with the composite article according to theinvention. The surface area may be, for example, a wall, ceiling orfloor of a building structure. The surface can be the surface of anyobject, including irregularly shaped objects and objects that are notplanar. Objects to be displayed can be secured to the composite articleby pushpin and/or magnetic securement. Further, the invention has thebenefit of electromagnetically shielding a volume, such as the interiorof a room, defined by a surface area covered by the composite article.For example, by applying the composite article to thewalls/ceiling/floor of a room, it is possible to electromagneticallyshield the volume defined by the room.

According to another aspect, the invention can provide sound absorptionqualities, so that it can be used for acoustical insulation, forexample, as an acoustical wall covering.

According to yet another aspect, the invention comprises a magnetattractive fluid that can be applied to a surface area to allowattachment of objects by magnetic securement.

Other features and advantages of the present invention as describedabove will become apparent from the following description of theinvention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the display device according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the display device according to theinvention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B show in elevation/plan and sectional view, respectively,an embodiment wherein the magnetic or magnet attractive material isdiscontinuous;

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the display device according to theinvention;

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a display device according to theinvention;

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 shows further embodiments of the display deviceaccording to the invention;

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11 shows additional embodiments of the display deviceaccording to the invention;

FIG. 12 shows an example of one of the embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 13A, B and C show use of the display device according to theinvention;

FIGS. 14A, B, C and D show examples of adhesive magnets according to theinvention;

FIGS. 15A, B, C and D show the modularity feature of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 16A and B show further details of the modularity feature of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 17A and B shows an embodiment of a magnet and pin according to theinvention;

FIGS. 18A and B shows another embodiment of a magnet and pin housingsurrounding the magnet;

FIG. 19 shows another embodiment of the display device according to thepresent invention;

FIGS. 19A and 19B show cross-sections of the display device of FIG. 19;

FIGS. 20, 21, 22 and 23 show embodiments of other magnetic and/orpushpin devices according to the present invention and/or combinationsof other devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment ofthe invention. As described, the invention relates to a display device,and in particular, a display material which is preferably both permeableto pushpins and which allows for magnetic securement. The invention thusallows for dual securement by magnet attractive material or pushpins.

According to a first embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, the inventioncomprises a material 10 which is permeable to pushpins. The material 10comprises a substrate for a material 12 disposed on the surface of thematerial 10. The material 10 may have sound absorption qualities. Thematerial 12 is a magnet attractive material or a magnetic material. Forexample, the material 12 may comprise iron or ferromagnetic material,magnet attractive material, or magnetic material. This allows securementby magnets or magnetic attractive material. For example, as shown inFIG. 1, if the material 12 is magnet attractive, a magnet 14 can be usedto secure a memo or note 16 to the display device. Optionally, apushpin, indicated at 18, may be secured to the permeable material 10thereby securing an object such as a memo or note 20 or any other objectto the display device.

FIG. 2 shows another example of the display device in which the magnetattractive material or magnetic material may comprise an apertured ormeshed, continuous or discontinuous, material 12A disposed on thesurface of the substrate or permeable material 10.

Optionally, the material 12 or 12A may be magnetic itself in which casethe object 14 may not be a magnet but a magnet attractive material suchas ferrous material.

The display device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a compositematerial in which the magnet attractive or magnetic material 12 isembedded integrally with the substrate 10. The composite device may beprecut for individual applications such as individual bulletin boards ormay be flexible and rolled out in large sheets to be applied to largestraight or curved surfaces. For example, the invention as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 can be used as a wall covering such as wall paper, inwhich case the substrate 10 may be made sufficiently thin so that thepush pins may be inserted directly through the material 10 to bereceived in the wall board on which the wall covering is attached.

The magnet attractive material or magnetic material 12 in the compositearticle may be either visible on the surface, visible by way of thesurface texture of the composite or invisible in the composite. Forexample, the material 12 may be disposed on the surface but covered byan opaque material or embedded in the material 10. In all cases, thismagnet attractive material or magnetic material would become an integralpart of the object when the manufacturing of the composite article iscompleted.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show further embodiments of the present invention. InFIGS. 3 and 4 the magnet attractive material or magnetic material isaligned with the surface of the substrate 10, i.e., it is not disposedon top of the surface but instead disposed so that the surface of thematerial 12 is in the same plane as the surface of the substrate 10. Thematerial 12 is thus embedded in substrate 10 so that the outer surfaceof material 12 is in alignment with the outer surface of substrate 10.

Both embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be used in the same way asthe embodiments described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show magnet attractive materials embedded more deeplyin the material 10 which is permeable to pushpins. FIG. 7 shows anembodiment in which the magnet attractive material or magnetic materialcan comprise a powdered, sintered or particulate material embedded ordispensed in the substrate 10. The substrate may comprise a plasticresin gel or some other material to serve as a binder for theparticulate and which is permeable to push pins, and preferably, selfhealing to allow the pin holes to be substantially imperceptible.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11 show further embodiments of the invention. Theseembodiments comprise a magnet attractive material or magnetic material12C which can be deposited on a material which is optionally permeableto pushpins. The material 12C can also be sandwiched between twooptionally pin permeable materials. The magnet attractive material ormagnetic material 12C is also optionally permeable to the pushpins. Theinvention according to these embodiments can comprise a magnetattractive material or magnet material 12C which presents itself as acontinuous or discontinuous material either in strands, separateindividual pieces or as a laminated or woven layer, adhered or attachedto another material to become an integral part of the structure of anon-woven or woven sheet material in which the magnet attractive ormagnetic material either is visible or nonvisible and optionallypermeable to pushpins for the display or memos, etc.

According to one of these embodiments, the invention comprises a magnetattractive material or magnetic material which can be strands, separateindividual pieces or particles such as magnetic or ferromagneticparticulate or dust, a magnetic or magnet attractive fluid or paintlaminated, deposited, adhered or otherwise attached to a substrate suchas a woven or non-woven sheet material. The magnet attractive ormagnetic material may be laminated between layers of woven or nonwovensheet material or secured by an adhesive to a layer of such material.According to this embodiment, the technology described in U.S. Pat. No.5,792,513 to Koslow et al. can be used to provide the composite article,in which case, a binder is provided for the particulate. However, abinder need not be used. According to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8,9, 10 and 11, the material is particularly flexible and can be utilizedon vertical and horizontal walls surfaces, for example, as a wallcovering or wallpaper. Accordingly, the wall covering can be used toattract magnets or magnet attractive material thereby for the display ofobjects by magnetic securement. Alternatively, because of its optionalpermeability to pushpins, pushpins can also be used to display objects.The magnet attractive or magnetic sheet creates a flexibility and alightness in weight that enables the invention to conform to irregularsurface forms thus presenting the possibility of being the top layer ofthe material which may optionally be permeable to pushpins with thepushpins secured through the display composite article to the materialbehind the sheet material, for example, wallboard, shown at 10A.According to the invention, the various layers may have an elasticquality.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the composite material adhered to a material 10Awhich is permeable to pushpins, such as wallboard of a wall of a housingor building structure.

According to another aspect, the invention may comprise a fluid having amagnet attractive material dispersed therein, such as ferromagneticparticles. The fluid can be applied to a surface such as a wall or anyother object and may comprise, for example, a paint.

FIG. 12 shows how the invention of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8-11is flexible to conform to different surfaces. A strip taken from a rollis shown in FIG. 12. The material can be made in large sheets or forexample in roll such as wallpaper rolls, as shown. The magnet attractiveor magnetic material can be visible on the surface or may be nonvisible.The magnet attractive or magnetic material can be embedded in the sheetmaterial or may be laminated between sheet materials or deposited on thesurface of a single piece of sheet material and be either exposed toview or be hidden by the sheet material. The sheet material may beprovided with an adhesive already applied to one surface thereof so thatthe sheet material can be easily adhered to the surface of an object,for example, a wall.

FIGS. 13A, B and C shows examples of the display device according to thepresent invention. In FIG. 13A, a memo is attached to the display deviceusing a magnet 14. In FIG. 13B, a memo is secured by a magnet 14 andanother memo is secured by a pushpin 18. In FIG. 13C, an example of thedisplay device according to the present invention is shown in which thedisplay device has a surface which is also permeable to pushpins. InFIG. 13C, reference numeral 10 a is a pin permeable surface. Referencenumeral 30 is, in the example, a donut shaped magnetic or magnetattractive layer of material which can be disposed over the surface 10A.Pushpin 18A is being used to secure a memo 16 to the display and amagnet 14A is being used to secure a memo 20 to the display device.

FIG. 14 shows a further aspect of the invention. This aspect of theinvention relates to a way of using individual magnets by adding anadhesive substance to a surface 32 of a magnet 14 wherein a magnet withthis adhesive surface can be adhered to objects that are not magnetattractive thereby allowing the objects which receives a magnet to beable to be secured to a magnetic attractive board, or other magnetattractive surface, e.g., a refrigerator surface. The magnet can beprovided on a sheet of releasable backing material. The releasablebacking material is shown at 34. A plurality of magnets can be disposedon the sheet 34 like “candy buttons”. When a user needs to secure anon-magnetic or non ferrous object to a magnet attractive surface, themagnet is removed from the releasable backing, exposing the adhesive.The magnet is then adhered to the object with the adhesive and theobject can then be attached to the magnet attractive surface via theadhered magnet.

FIG. 14A shows a front view of magnets on a releasable backing accordingto the invention. FIG. 14B shows a side view of the magnets on thereleasable backing. FIG. 14C shows a perspective, side view and frontview of the magnet and FIG. 14D shows a perspective view of a sheet withthe magnets attached thereon which can be removed from the releasablebacking.

FIGS. 15A, B, C and D show how the invention can be modularized. Thedisplay device can comprise a bulletin board as shown in FIG. 15Awherein the individual display boards as shown in FIG. 15A are attachedto one another to create a series of boards, a grid of boards or anirregular attachment of boards designed to prescribed dimensions tocover an area in a composite and continuous or discontinuous way. Thisindividual display device can cover an area of wall surface for thepurpose of increasing the overall coverage of the display devices in asystematic or non-systematic predetermined or spontaneous method. Theindividual display devices, as shown in FIG. 15A can be combinedtogether by appropriate fastening means, as shown in FIGS. 15B and 15C.These fastening means may comprise screws or bolts or other fasteningmeans such as clips. Alternatively, the fastening means may comprisemagnets and/or magnet attractive materials as indicated at 40. Themagnetic attachment may be visible as shown in FIG. 15B or nonvisible,as shown in FIG. 15C. If the individual boards are irregular in shape,they may be assembled together much like a jigsaw puzzle, as shown inFIG. 15D.

FIGS. 16A and 16B show details of the adjoining devices for the modularboards. One individual board can be joined to another by a magnetattractive material or a magnet. The magnet attractive or magneticmaterial can be an integral part of the board or framing system whichwhen attached, can create a continuous grid of interconnecting boardsthus providing variable surface coverage as desired. FIG. 16A shows anexample wherein the attaching magnets 40 are visible. Each individualboard may have a frame 11 which is made of a magnet attractive materialthereby to be secured by the magnet 40.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 16B, the magnet/magnet attractivematerial may be disposed within the substrates 10 whereby to be hiddenfrom view.

FIGS. 17A and 17B show a further aspect of the invention. The inventioncomprises an integral pin/magnet. The pin is shown schematically at 18A.Reference 18AA schematically represents a handle. The magnet is shown at14. The properties of both the magnet attraction and the pushpin shaftattachment enhance the strength of securing articles to a board whichhas inherent properties of being able to accept both forms of attachmentat the same time. This does not preclude using the magnetic/pin todisplay devices which are only able to accept pushpin attachments. Inother words, they can be used both to secure items by pushpin alone orto secure items by the combination of pushpin and magnetic securement.FIG. 17B shows the combined magnet and pin securing an item to asubstrate 10A such as a wall surface.

FIGS. 18A and 18B show a further embodiment of the invention wherein themagnet 14A is surrounded by a housing 15 that holds one or several pinshafts 17. This provides for increased securement of an object to thesurface whereby the object is secured both by magnetic securement and bypushpin. The housing 15 may itself be pin permeable, thereby to allowpin securement to the housing 15.

FIG. 19 shows a further embodiment according to the present invention.

According to the invention of FIG. 19, a composite material made up of awoven or knitted fabric which comprises strands of fabric materialinterlaced with strands of a ferrous material such as steel, whichattracts magnets, is provided. In this way, the material can be used asa display board, for example a bulletin board or it can be applied towall surfaces or used for making wall surfaces, for example, as modularoffice walls or wall paper. Because of the ferrous material interwovenwith the fabric, the material will attract a magnet and accordingly, canbe used to hold memos and other objects between the magnet and thematerial. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the material 12 comprisesinterwoven fabric strands 100 and ferrous metallic strands 200. FIG. 19is schematic only. The weave of the material 12 can be as fine or coarseas desired. A memo or note 50 can be attached to the board, indicatedgenerally at 110, by a magnet 14. A memo or note can also be held by aconventional pushpin 18 by placing a permeable material 10 such as corkor rubber, etc., behind the woven material 12. Memos or notes can befastened to the board 110 via a pushpin 18. See FIG. 19A. The wovenmaterial 12 may have sufficient body so that a backing material 10 isnot required. Also, the material 12 may be made as a composite with thebacking material (permeable or otherwise). For example, the material 12may be adhered to, molded into, embedded in or integral with a material10 such as a tack permeable resin or gel material. The resin or gelmaterial may be self healing to tack punctures. The material 12 can beon the surface of the backing material or may be embedded in the resinor gel material. If embedded, and it is desirable to observe the textureof the material 12, then the resin or gel may transparent ortranslucent. However, the resin or gel may be opaque. FIG. 19B shows across section of the material 12 embedded in a resin or gel 10.Optionally, a board or a frame 111 may be provided, for example, if thematerial is used for a bulletin board.

FIG. 20 shows further embodiments of pushpins which can be used with thecomposite article disclosed herein or any conventional bulletin board.FIG. 20 shows a pushpin 18A which has a ferromagnetic surface 18B, forexample, made of steel or other ferromagnetic material. In this way, amagnet 14 can be attached to an already inserted pushpin 18A to hold anote or memo between pushpin 18A and the magnet 14.

FIG. 21 shows another pushpin which can be used with the articleaccording to the invention or with a conventional bulletin board.Pushpin 18C is made of a permeable material 19 into which a furtherpushpin 18 can be inserted. In this way, a memo or note can be heldbetween the pushpin 18C and the pushpin 18.

FIG. 22 shows a further embodiment of a magnet which can be used withthe present invention. The magnet 21 is a composite magnet comprising amagnetic material 22 to which is attached an overlying permeable surface24. A pushpin 18 can be inserted into the permeable surface 24 therebyallowing a memo or a note to be disposed between the composite magnet 21and the pushpin 18.

A plurality of such magnets and pushpins can be stacked in anycombination. For example, the composite magnet 21 can have a pushpinsuch as a pushpin 18 c inserted therein to which another pushpin 18A or18C can be attached. Depending on the type of pushpin used, i.e.,pushpin 18A or the pushpin 18C, either a magnet or further pushpin canbe attached thereto. For example, FIG. 23 which shows a composite magnet21 attached to board 10 comprising material 12 to which magnet 21 apushpin 18C is attached to which a further pushpin 18A is attached towhich a magnet 14 is attached, each with a memo 5A, 5B, 5C and 5Ddisposed therebetween.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.Therefore, the present invention should be limited not by the specificdisclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular display board arrangement comprising: aplurality of display boards, each display board having an area definedby a border, the border comprising a frame for the area, the framehaving a first portion in the plane of the area and a second portionperpendicular to the first portion, the area being suitable for displayof objects thereon, each board having a fastener attached thereto alongthe border that directly attaches the boards releasably to each otheralong the border so that the boards cover a desired area, the fastenerbeing provided on the second portion; the frame being magnet attractive,and further wherein the fastener comprises a magnet that is disposed onthe second portion between the frames to secure the display boards toeach other; and wherein the fastener is embedded in the display board atthe border of the display board.
 2. The modular display boardarrangement of claim 1, wherein each board has one of a rectangular,square or irregular shape.
 3. A modular display board arrangementcomprising: a plurality of display boards, each display board having anarea defined by a border, the border comprising a frame for the area,the frame having a first portion in the plane of the area and a secondportion perpendicular to the first portion; the area being suitable fordisplay of objects thereon, each board having a fastener attachedthereto along the border that directly attaches the boards releasably toeach other along the border so that the boards cover a desired area, thefastener being provided on the second portion, further wherein thefastener comprises one of a magnet and a magnet attractive objectdisposed on the second portion between the frames securing each displayboard to each other and wherein the second portion of the framecomprises one of a magnet and a magnet attractive material to enable thedisplay boards to be held together by magnetic attraction; and whereinthe fastener comprising one of a magnet and a magnet attractive objectis embedded in the display board at the border of the display board. 4.The modular display board arrangement of claim 3, wherein each board hasone of a rectangular, square or irregular shape.
 5. A modular displayboard arrangement comprising: a plurality of display boards, eachdisplay board having an area defined by a border, the border comprisingan edge of the display board perpendicular to the plane of the area, thearea being suitable for display of objects thereon, each board having afastener disposed along the edge of the border that directly attachesthe boards releasably to each other along the border so that the boardscover a desired area; and the fastener comprising one of a magnet and amagnet attractive object disposed on the edge of a display board forsecuring each display board directly to each other by magneticattraction between the magnet and the magnet attractive object orbetween two magnets, wherein each magnet or magnet attractive object isdisposed at the perpendicular edge of the display board on the displayboard; and wherein the fastener comprising one of a magnet and a magnetattractive object is embedded in the display board at the border of thedisplay board.
 6. The modular display board arrangement of claim 5,wherein the fastener is disposed between the borders of two adjoiningdisplay boards.